Lundeen's Tackle CastleLake Mille Lacs

Thousands of folks from Minnesota and beyond will make the annual pilgrimage to Mille Lacs for this year's "opener". Before you head for the lake, there's a few things we need to address.

First, let's look at the boat.
Some guys already have a month of "open water" fishing in by the opener - others will still be making the last minute checks on Friday at midnight. Here's a few things to consider:

How does the propeller look?

Did you grease the lower unit? This should be done at least once a year, and checked monthly through the season for signs of water in the grease.

Fill the oil reservoir.

Check the lights and horn... some times the contact will corrode on the switch over the winter.

Check the bilge and livewell pumps/hoses. If water was left in the system, there's a good chance you may have burst a pump or hose.

Check the license on your trailer AND on your boat - the Deputy Registrar's office is NOT open after 5PM on Friday!

How are you at backing up your boat trailer? Opening day is no time for "rookies" to be tying up the ramps - if you need a tune-up, practice before you get to the lake... it's the courteous thing to do!

How about a few of the other details?:

Do you have your current fishing license? We suggest you buy your angling license early to avoid the lines.

Did you re-spool your lines? This is possibly the cheapest insurance you'll every buy! We'll spool your reels with fresh line so that when the big one bites, you're ready. Just strip the old line off and bring in the whole reel (that way, we can be sure which way the line wraps on the spool). All reels dropped off by the Thursday before opener are guaranteed to be done by Friday (before opener) at noon.

Make sure your fillet knife is sharp - we'll do it (them) on the same schedule as the reels.

Check out your rod tips... if they need to be replaced, bring 'em in before Thursday (before opener).